Machine for continuous, high-production manufacture of candy suckers



' Dec l, 1953 c. J. covERT ETAL 2,650,963

MACHINE FOR TINUOUS, HIGH-PR CTION' MANUFA RE oF CANDY SUCK Filed April 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 1, 1953 c. J. covERT ET 2,660,963

MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS, HICH- oDUCTIoN MANUFACTURE 0F CANDY SUCKERS Filed April 10, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. l, 1953 geraete MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS, HIGH- PRODUCTION MANUFACTURE F CANDY SUCKERS Claude J. Covert, Glen Rock, N. J., and'William H. Genich, Racine, Wis., assignors to Racine Confectioners Machinery Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 10, 1951,-Serial No. 220,282

s claims. (C1. 11n- 8) The invention here disclosed relates to' the manufacture of candy suckers, and the general objects of the invention are to provide an automatic machine for this purpose, which will operate at a continuous, high-production rate and which with these special advantages, will be of relatively simple construction and reasonable in cost.

`Special objects of the invention are to provide such a machine in a compact form, requiring small space on an operating floor and in a design which can be readily serviced so that a number of the machines may be readily supervised and taken care of by a single operator.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification, wherein the novel features of the invention are pointed out and broadly claimed. v

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the sepcication illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modied and changed as regards such illustration, all Within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken front elevation of one of the new sucker machines;

Fig. 2 is a broken vertical sectional view as taken through one of the stick hoppers, on substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the cam and plunger mechanism at the left-hand end of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional view of the stationary cam and the set screws for securing same, taken on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the mold cavity formed portions of the companion rolls on substantially-the plane Ofiline 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the upper, sucker molding and stick carrying roll.

The machine illustrated comprises essentially a pair of companion rolls, the top and bottom rolls l, 8, constructed for molding two annular rows of suckers, and at least one of said rolls grooved inward from opposite ends to admit two sets of sticks to the soft, plastic, suckers shaped between the rolls.

In this particular instance both rolls are formed with die cavities, the upper roll with a row of closely spaced, shallow cavities 9 near one end of a row of closely spaced but alternately positioned cavities I0 near the oppositerend, and the lower roll with meeting rows of die cavities I I, I2, near the opposite ends of the same. Y

The alternate arrangement of thecandy molding cavities at opposite ends of the rolls enables the maximum utilization of the circumferential area of the rolls, providing for the largest candy sizes and the greatest number of candies molded for a given size roll.

This novel construction, providing the maximum output, permits use of reasonably small diameter rolls in a machine of high-production capacity.

The upper roll is shown as having grooves I3,v

I4, opening from opposite ends into the staggered arranged mold cavities 9, i0, and this same roll is shown as having end extensions I5, I6, grooved at I1, I8, in line with the mold entering grooves The grooved end sections I5, I6, of the top roll rotate under the open bottom hoppers I9, 20, containing the sticks il, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to pick up the sticks one at a time in the grooves I'I and I3 and carry them around to and beyond the meeting line of the two rolls.

Circular guards 22, 23, extending from the open bottom portions of the hoppers around the front of the top roll, past the meeting line, serve to conne the sticks in these grooves in passage from the hoppers to the point of insertion in the suckers.

In Fig. 1 the bottom roll 8 is shown as of less length than the upper roll, enabling the guards to be extended beyond the meeting line as far as need be.

The two rolls are driven and maintained in unison by gears 24, 25, connecting the shafts 26, 21, carrying the rolls, and operation is effected by a sprocket chain 28 extending from the drive motor to sprocket 29 on the upper roll shaft.

The candy, in soft, plastic state, is fed into the bite of the rolls on a shelf or feed table 30, Figs. 1 and 2, confined between the side plates 3| laterally adjustable on the shaft 32.

The insertion of the sticks is effected by plungvers 33, 34, at opposite ends of the upper roll operating through guides 35, in line with the stick gooves I'I, I8, and actuated by stationary cams 3 ,31.

The inner ends of the plungers are shown in Fig. 3 as reduced at 38 to freely enter the grooves in the roll, and the outer ends are shown as having heads 39 to ride the faces of the cams 36-31 v and to engage in back of the plunger retracting cam flanges 40.

The opposed cam faces 36 and 4i] thus provide positive means for projecting and retracting the e, engagement with bars 46 carried by the tops of the cams. u A* This floating mounting of the cams on the roll shaft enables the same plungers and cams to be "sed with rolls of different length, such as shorter rolls for shorter sticks or smaller candies, by sliding the cams inward to bring the supporting sgleeves 3 vinto engagement with the ends ofthe shorter rolls and holding them in thisy position by spacer sleeves to nt between the outer sides of the cams and the adjoining end walls of the frame. In such cases the cam holding screws 44 may be located in other 'screw openings provided for the purpose in the top plate 45.

The cams are designed as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to holdtheplungers 33 and 34 retracted during the arc of travel of the grooves across the open bottom ofthe stick hoppers, Fig. 2, to force the sticks fully intothe suckers at the bottom, at the line of contact between the rolls, and to fully retract the plungers before the grooves again reach the hoppers. Y

After leaving the cover of the partially surrounding: arcuate` guards 22, 23, the suckers with the sticks solidly imbedded therein, will normally fall clear of the rolls onto the discharge incline 41, Fig. 2, but if desired, strippers may be provided for positively discharging the completed suckers fromr the r'nol'dVv cavities and grooves.

As shown in Fig. 2, the incline 47 may deliver the finished products onto a belt conveyor 48 or the like, for transport to a wrapping, packing or other such station.

The belt conveyor 48 is shown in Fig. 2 as operated through asprocket chain drive 49 from the lower? roll' shaft 21.

With this invention the sticks are guided and supported and practically fully enclosed from passage from the hopper into imbedment in the suckers, enablingthe use of sticks or skewers of tubular paper or cellophane or the like.

' By operating simultaneously from opposite ends of the roll, the stick imbedding action is Substantially balanced and the machine is enabled to operate smoothly and quietly at a high rate of production. The mechanism is rugged and simple in design and the parts are relatively few and can be produced and assembled at low cost. Further, thel elements are' comp'actly arranged so that the'- machine is small in size for the results accomplished. The operation is continuous so long as sticks are supplied tothe hopper and the' mdldable candy is' supplied to* the rolls.

What is claimed is: A

Vl. A machine for continuous manufactur'eof candy suckers comprising companion molding rolls, one of said rolls having mold cavities in the opposite end portions of the same' and stick entering vgrooves extending from the opposite ends of said roll into the individual mold cavities, Saidb roll having end extensions at the outer ends of said stick entering grooves provided with open stick guide groovesin line with said stick entering grooves, stick hoppers over said end extensions and positioned to deliver sticks individually into the open guide grooves in the end extensions, feed plungers carried by said roll at the outer ends of said end extensions inline with said guide grooves and having heads at their outer ends, means for effecting rotation of the companion mold rolls and stationary cam means positioned for engagement by the heads on the outer ends of said plungers and including opposed cam tracks spaced to receive the heads of theA plungers beon the shaft of the proper length'- tween themand correspondingly inclined to effect positive projection and retraction of the plungers in said guide grooves in the rotation of said rolls.

2. A machine for continuous manufacture of candy suckers comprising companion molding rolls;- one-of said' rolls having mold cavities in the opposite end'portions of the same and stick entering grooves extendingV from the opposite ends of said roll into the individual mold cavities, said roll` having endextensions at the outer ends of saidv stick entering grooves provided with open stick guide groovesin line with said stick entering grooves, stick hoppers over said end extensionsand positioned to deliver sticks individually into the open guide grooves in the end extensions, feed plungersv carried by said roll at the outer ends of said end extensions in line with said guide grooves and having heads at their outer ends, means for effecting rotation of the companion mold rolls andv stationary cam means positioned for engagement by the heads on the outer ends of said plungers and including opposed cam tracks spaced to receive the heads of the plungers between themand correspondingly inclined' to effect positive projection and retraction of the plungers in said guide grooves in the rotation of said rolls, saidcam meansincluding annular cam` rings carrying the opposed cam tracks and having central supporting hubs and the roll carrying the plungers having a central mounting means, the hubs of said cam rings being removably supported in non-rotatable relation on said central mounting means of saidroll.

3. A machine for continuous manufacture of candy suckers comprisingv companion molding rolls, one of said rolls having mold cavities in the opposite end portions Aof the same and stick entering grooves extendingfrom'the opposite ends of said roll into the individual mold cavities, saidroll having endextensions at the outer ends of said stick entering grooves provided with open stick guide grooves in line with said stick entering grooves, stick hoppers over said endextensions and positioned to deliver sticks individually into the open guide grooves in the end extensions, feed plungers carried by said roll at the outer ends of said end extensions in line with said guide grooves and having heads at their outer ends, means for effecting rotation of the companion mold rolls and stationary cam means positioned for engagement by thewheads on the outer ends of saidplungersandincluding opposed cam-tracks spaced to receive the heads of the plungers between themA and correspondingly inclined to effect positive projection and retraction of the plungers in said guide grooves in the rotation of Said rolls, thel mold cavities at the opposite ends of said roll being offset longitudinally of the roll in relatively staggered relation enabling the greatest number of large size mold cavities in a given length mold rol-l.

CLAUDEl J. COVERT. WILLIAM I-I. GENICH.

vnefmiwes cited in 'the nie of this patent UNITED- STATES PATENTS 

